FOXSYLVANIA

Probably like many of you reading this, I’m a fan of Star Trek.— – How big a fan?- -More so than casual, less so than total fanatic. As a Star Trek fan and loyalist, I’ve long believed that ANY Star Trek, even bad Star Trek, is better than no Star Trek at all. So for this reason, I’ve faithfully viewed all of the series and movies, even the ones that were less than stellar. So when I heard that Paramount+ was creating a new Trek series set in the 32nd century that followed a new class of cadets at the re-established Starfleet Academy dealing with personal drama and a new major threat, I was on board with it, even despite reservations…

I did not enjoy certain episodes of the new series, which seemed to have an uneven quality, and I really have had enough of the whole teen drama thing. I slogged along with the series, however, and aspects of it slowly grew on me. It’s not uncommon for a series to struggle a bit initially to find its best and true footing; even The Next Generation did this. But Paramount+ has cancelled the series after filming the second season, with this final season planned for release in 2027.

Now Starfleet Academy did take the series in some novel and interesting ways, including the introduction of a gay Klingon character played by Karim Diane, Jay-Den Kraag, who aspires not to be a warrior but to enter the medical field! Unfortunately, the series killed off my favorite cadet, a Vulcan! There were also some carry-over characters from previous Star Trek series, including the holographic Doctor from Voyager played by Robert Picardo, and Jett Reno played by Tig Notaro. I was especially happy to see Reno, who had been a semi-regular character on ST: Discovery become a main character on Starfleet Academy. A gifted improvisational engineer, Reno could think outside of the box remarkably well, and her character was known for her deadpan humor, cynicism, and wit. I hope that we can see more of Reno in future movies or a series…

So why did Starfleet Academy fail? Was it the female captain, Nahla Ake? Granted that she was no Janeway, but the characterization by Holly Hunter was still sound. Simply put, the series failed to find an audience, but it was not given enough time, either. Hopefully we won’t have to wait another 12 or 14 years years before another series takes up the mantle. At least we have Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for another two seasons…

(One of the few large-scale action sequences from Starfleet Academy for those who haven’t seen any of it…)